Aaron Collins' Mechanisms Chapter 5
by Psychoflop
Summary: The audition


Chapter 5: That Night In Rome

It was a sunny afternoon as they packed up their gear into 2 gearuses they hired for a couple of days. Renting vehicles for that long was unusual in the French Republic, but the unusual was overlooked if the Francs were right. The band were in the first gearus, the equipment were in the second, and yet each gearus was only about 1/3 full. There was a good reason for that, as according to Heather:

"By some act of Da Vinci, all the new helpers not only said yes but they'll all be arriving within 2-3 hours of each other. Once we set you guys up, Jonathan, Jen, Laura, Megan and I will walk to the flightport with signs with their names on it. It's so sad that none of us know what Catherine, Holly, Julie, Tamara, Leila, Elizabeth, Jessica, Solveig and Tina look like."

Phoenix nodded and said "We should've asked for sketches. Anyways, it's only a 10 minute walk to the flightport so you be back just as we're finishing up. We have 15 minutes to set up all of the gear, 30 to play and that's only if they don't cut us off early due to boredom."

Chiara shook her head, "They won't stop us early. In fact, 30 minutes means we only play our best material. Jonathan, do you have the sheet music ready for us?"

Jonathan nodded. I should note that while the band has permitted me to list song titles, I was forbidden to use sheet music for fear of piracy. If only they knew the worlds where they're just characters in a book. Anyways, here is the setlist:

1. Awakening of Da Vinci

2. Ode to an azeno (por ĉiam) (ass, forever)

3. 1000 Gears

4. Revolution (Renaissance)

5. Butterfly Effect

It was the 1st time 1000 gears was played in public, which was enough for everyone to remain in good spirits as it began raining just as they arrived. Thankfully, Jen packed a tarp which was used to cover each instrument as they entered the audition hall on Vojo De Raphael (Raphael Road). The audition hall was a community theatre stage that was painted black and acoustically balanced. It was so vast that a band of 12 people could play on it with ease (including instruments and megaphones)

They were called 3rd and they got their stage setup and introductions down to 9 minutes (the helpers quietly bowed out, though Laura noticed 1 of the judges nod in approval that Phoenix Crysalys had their own helpers and that the Olympic committee didn't have to supply them with any).

They played their songs flawlessly from top to bottom. The judges had difficulty restraining themselves from their own enthusiasm. Then the band took their bows, and judges went from enthusiastic to awkward...

...The lighting exposed the prosthetic limbs of Fabio, Phoenix and Gregg. Chiara confided in me that it was the first time she could hear a pin drop after a performance.

A judge regained her composure and spoke, "bonvolu atendi ĉe via loko de loĝado. ni anoncos nian decidon poste ĉi vespero" (please wait at your place of lodging. we will announce our decision later this evening)

It took them longer to take down their gear (the helpers were still at the flightport), but there was an aura resembling how 1 feels when a relationship is completely shattered and you just don't want anything to do with the other person ever again. Phoenix Crysalys shook it off and exited the audition hall. At least it stopped raining

Gregg was the first to speak when they were outside, "Remember when we were just starting out and we had no helpers and we had to carry our own gear?"

Karl sighed, "Yeah, we really don't give our helpers enough credit."

They reached the inn to see all of their helpers (old and new) in the main foyer...

..."SURPRIZO" (SURPRISE)

They were obviously organised enough to be here before the committee made their announcement. But there was everyone altogether. The exchanges of hugs were immediate and frequent, along with "Bonvenon al la Franca Respubliko" (Welcome to the French Republic).

The desk clerk was getting a little annoyed at the noise, then suggested "Ĉu vi ĉiuj ŝatas movi al nia konferenco ĉambron en la malantaŭa?" (Would you all like to move to the conference room, in the back?) Fabio realized that they were a bit loud, nodded and lead everyone to the back.

Everyone broke into groups semi-familiar to them, and I don't blame them. Nearly half of them were in the French Republic for their first night. If Fabio's memory is accurate, the conversation groups went as follows:

Group 1 - Chiara, Heather, Jessica, Leila

Group 2 - Fabio, Jonathan, Elizabeth, Tamara

Group 3 - Gregg, Jen, Catherine

Group 4 - Karl, Megan, Holly, Julie

Group 5 - Phoenix, Laura, Solveig, Tina

Now in preparation for this night, The band and the helpers that were already in the French Republic had prepared questions to ask the new helpers in order to break the ice. 1 could argue that that was impersonal...me...I understood it as a way of appealing to what everyone had in common with each other. I'll do my best to archive the answers of the new helpers as they pertain to each group and question. The first, third and fifth questions were asked by Chiara, Fabio, Gregg, Karl and Phoenix. The second and fourth questions were asked by Heather, Jonathan, Jen, Megan and Laura

Q1. Nice flights?

A1. Jessica: Yes, while they were winding up the plane in New Amsterdam, a few of us got to talking and realized we were all heading to see you guys. Elizabeth, Holly, Tamara and I all being on the same plane is a stroke of Da Vinci's luck.

Leila: Yes, I was placed in the front row of the Czar's personal plane in Moskva. I was waited on hand and foot.

Elizabeth: Yes, the time to London just flew by...

Tamara: ...indeed. The Ocean shrunk to the size of a lake.

Catherine: Shortly before I reached the flightport I ran into Tina, it was a lot of fun.

Holly: I used my status as a retired priest to secure better food for my new friends. I think we're still full.

Julie: It was quiet, but I enjoyed that. I needed to gather my thoughts.

Solveig: I could tell that my flight was on an older plane. It may have been the storm but the flight was likely going to be bumpy anyway. We even had to make an emergency landing in Copenhagen to change keys and re-wind to continue the journey.

Tina: Catherine and I got another passenger detained. He was harassing us into having a threesome. I respected his lack of prejudice towards Catherine for only having 1 eye. But I'm heterosexual, so when Catherine put the poor guy in a headlock I told the flight attendant that he was the 1 at fault. I think he's still in custody right now, actually.

Q2. What are your plans for your role in the band?

Tina: This is a very rich town, and rich people don't want to clean their own homes. Once I hit Montegran, I'll be trusting the band to give out my occupation card to their fans. I even have a few dozen cards in Esperanto.

Solveig: I'll actually be staying here I think. People wind their own gearbikes and gearuses in Montegran. So I've already talked to a couple of winders at Rome's flightport and they had a couple of winders quit on them recently. I'll only be working 4 days a week so I can bring a cut of my money to you guys on my days off.

Julie: Laura's going to let me use the other half of her shop to forge new parts. We'll be a great team, and my husband will assist me when he arrives.

Holly: I will un-retire and take the days that Megan would otherwise close the Da Vinci church. So making money will be a cinch.

Catherine: I took my last BritIrish pound and put it into a raffle at the flightport to pass the time, after I won 5000 pounds I quickly converted it into 6750 Francs. I'll buy a studio loft near Jonathan and take the clients he can't handle. Oh, and I'll be giving a piece of my winnings to you guys, of course.

Tamara: I don't need to do anything. I retired with a LOT of yen that I've already converted. I may even have enough to fund the band's bid with enough left over to live quietly.

Elizabeth: I'll be working the days that Solveig isn't, and rooming with her here. I guess we'll need a gearbike to commute from Rome to Montegran.

Leila: My Czar gave me a list of Russians that live here, I can establish a dialogue with them and work translations.

Jessica: Half of the inns in the French Republic need keepers. Ryleigh and I might have already found one or 2.

Q3. Will you require anything from us?

Jessica: A list of inns, arranged by proximity if possible. Eliminate all inns that do not feature caretaker's quarters big enough for 1 adult and 1 child.

Leila: Put me in touch with the Eurussian immigrants. I can take care of the rest.

Elizabeth/Solveig: A spare gearbike on the cheap. A passenger model should suffice.

Tamara: A home, somewhere quiet on the edge of town. 2-3 bedrooms, bathroom, cooking room, entertainment room. I can serve as an assistant to the others as best I can but I need my privacy.

Catherine: Materials from wherever Jonathan shops at. Pencils (coloured and uncoloured), paper of various sizes. I don't think I'll need canvas just yet.

Holly: Get me a washer to wash my church clothes and I'll be all set.

Julie: Tools to forge new limbs, or moulds. I am certified to use both. If Laura doesn't have spares I can make the parts she isn't making at that moment...sort of a platoon system.

Tina: A list of some rich people, arranged by proximity if possible. Small businesses would also be reasonable. Also, some cleaning chemicals and supplies. I'll likely need to visit a chemist to get what I need custom-made. I've memorized the ingredients needed to make everything so that any chemist in town can help me in either English or Esperanto.

Q4. Will you miss home?

Tina: Of course I will, especially my kids. But they have their own lives now so it's not like I'm abandoning small children

Julie: Not really. I was sick of the rampant crime of Upper Zealand and my last reason to stay is about to come here himself so I'll have everything I need soon enough.

Holly: No. New Germany was beginning to resemble the Beneluxanyland that our ancestors were trying to get away from. Granted, the streets were safe but the Da Vinci crowd was dying. I'm home here.

Catherine: No. In East Ontario, I was always looking over my shoulder when I had to speak French (or even Esperanto). It wasn't a criminal offense, but I felt like a criminal. Here I'm free to speak any language I wish, So I'll be fine.

Tamara: No, I'm tired of seeing where I live controlled by organized crime. I look forward to more civilized surroundings.

Elizabeth: I'm more useful here. I'm in the same boat as Tina in when you think about it.

Solveig: No. I felt so isolated, living so far up north. Plus, It's warmer here (in climate, and in people)

Leila: I'm still technically working for mother Eurussia, so I'll always be partly home no matter what. I'll be fine.

Jessica: No, I hated the BritIrish colonies. They were more uptight than the dominion in Canada, I should know. A few years before I had Ryleigh I was even working in East Ontario for this...religious cult...and they essentially kicked me out of their little club because I like...you know...thinking for myself and not necessarily blindly following a group of artists simply because they pretend to care about you. Hell, I think Aaron made one of them the murderer in that book he wrote to show them that they should leave people alone.

The band and the original helpers offered words of encouragement, none of them could remember what they said. I suppose it doesn't matter, as they were only passing time until a newsboy arrived and told them a decision had been made. They exited the inn and walked back to the audition hall, it was pleasant as the rain had stopped and they didn't get the thousand yard stares that they normally got for being all-bodies socializing with gearbodies. Rome had an aura of social evolution that most cities lacked, which is likely why they won the Olympics.

The Olympic committee however, was not as evolved: "It is the determination of this Olympic Committee that while bands with gearbody helpers are tolerable, bands with gearbody members are not. Gearbodies are the scourge of this planet and should not be in such a prominent role in such an elite gathering of sport. We will have another round of auditions of which no previous applicants will be allowed to apply."

According to the general consensus of Phoenix Crysalys, it was a sea of silence for several moments, until Catherine Girouard spoke, in outrage:

"So who will you persecute next? Will you take away the medals of Clara Hughes who won 6 medals for the BritIrish Dominion of Canada in the winter and summer games because she's a woman who battled the sadness? Or maybe you think the former chancellor of Beneluxanyland, Adolf Hitler was right to snub the New Spanish track phenom Jesse Owens after he won 4 gold medals because he was black. Or maybe I should use a safer example, maybe you should take the 22 medals off of the New England swimmer Michael Phelps because of his trick ankles."

Holly (inspired by Catherine), continued: "Just because gearbodies haven't played at the Olympics before doesn't mean they can't play now. Hell, in a perfect world the gearbodies would be competing. And what would our Maestro Da Vinci say? He believed in equal treatment to all living things."

The other bands and helpers by this point felt inspired by the objections, even cheering on Phoenix Crysalys. Leila, uncharacteristically of her, picked up a rock and threw it through a window of the audition hall. Everyone turned their attention to the lioness:

"I'm Eurussian, we know how to start a revolution."

The next several hours consisted of every band that auditioned and every helper attached to them destroying any property in Rome that they could find without harming a living thing. This tension had been building for some time and was finally at its' maximum. Even the police were rioting, if the gearbodies can't play at the Olympics, they would make the town so unfit that the Olympics would be cancelled.

The committee was so terrified that it took until the early morning hours to even discuss what was going on. Out of fear, they used the biggest megaphone that they could find, screaming "EVERYONE STOP!". The bands and helpers complied, reluctantly. It was the lead judge, Michael Braiotta who spoke: In exchange for stopping the riots...that we provoked...We invite all the bands and helpers who auditioned this evening to play at the Olympics, with...Phoenix Crysalys as the lead act.

The riots turned into a strange combination of rejoicing and repairing the damage caused.


End file.
